Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bundaberg and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,147 in Bundaberg, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Bundaberg
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Bundaberg Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bundaberg

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,147

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bundaberg and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bundaberg and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,147 per month in Bundaberg vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bundaberg $2,147
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,213 per month in Bundaberg vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bundaberg $3,213
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,279 per month in Bundaberg vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bundaberg $4,279
Chiang Mai $1,979

Bundaberg costs about 129% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bundaberg sits 58% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.13 A$28.64

$2.24 ฿75.6

798.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 A$101

$19.00 ฿641

274.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 A$14.80

$5.55 ฿187

87.57%

Cappuccino

$3.84 A$5.47

$1.67 ฿56.5

129.94%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.17

$0.64 ฿21.55

248.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 A$3.19

$0.31 ฿10.31

622.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 A$11.10

$2.36 ฿79.6

230.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.44 A$9.15

$3.66 ฿124

75.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 A$2.91

$1.95 ฿65.8

4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 A$3.31

$1.44 ฿48.48

61.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 A$4.55

$1.33 ฿45.04

140.60%

Eggs

$4.42 A$6.29

$2.28 ฿77.1

93.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 A$14.67

$16.45 ฿555

-37.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 A$14.10

$2.78 ฿93.9

256.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.86 A$32.51

$9.31 ฿314

145.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 A$5.30

$2.35 ฿79.4

58.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.88

$0.97 ฿32.80

181.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.05

$1.60 ฿53.9

78.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 A$6.20

$1.50 ฿50.6

190.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.34 A$4.75

$1.28 ฿43.12

160.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.65

$1.10 ฿37.19

132.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 A$3.03

$0.71 ฿23.82

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 A$3.74

$0.49 ฿16.37

436.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.46 A$43.32

$4.14 ฿140

635.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.20 A$18.78

$17.52 ฿591

-24.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$7.59 A$10.80

$1.61 ฿54.5

371.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 A$7.61

$2.78 ฿94.0

92.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 A$3.56

$0.87 ฿29.31

187.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.6 A$86.3

$54.1 ฿1,826

12.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.78 A$5.38

$1.16 ฿39.06

225.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 A$2.17

$0.53 ฿17.80

188.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.72 A$59.3

$2.42 ฿81.8

1623.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 A$1.83

$1.45 ฿48.90

-11.03%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.4K A$38.9K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

30.02%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K A$37.7K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-1.62%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$140 A$199

$62.2 ฿2,098

125.33%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$28.16 A$40.05

$12.17 ฿411

131.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.9 A$82.3

$20.12 ฿679

187.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 A$79.3

$37.31 ฿1,259

49.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.49 A$24.88

$3.77 ฿127

363.93%

Cinema Ticket

$12.53 A$17.82

$6.49 ฿219

93.07%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,109 A$2,999

$736 ฿24.8K

186.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K A$28.8K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

37.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 A$154

$53.4 ฿1,801

102.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.2 A$104

$24.64 ฿831

196.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 A$211

$91.5 ฿3,087

61.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 A$230

$71.9 ฿2,428

124.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 A$1,241

$482 ฿16.3K

80.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 A$1,148

$309 ฿10.4K

161.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 A$2,362

$1,006 ฿33.9K

65.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 A$1,797

$633 ฿21.4K

99.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,289 A$7,522

$2,363 ฿79.8K

123.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,619 A$6,569

$1,589 ฿53.6K

190.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,771 A$3,941

$590 ฿19.9K

369.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.72%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bundaberg: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bundaberg

$807 37.6%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 61.7% $498

Groceries & Markets

Bundaberg

$422 19.7%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 44.4% $187

Eating Out

Bundaberg

$308 14.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 74.8% $231

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bundaberg

$226 10.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 58.2% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Bundaberg

$221 10.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 50.8% $112

Getting Around

Bundaberg

$82 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 25.2% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Bundaberg

$81 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 37.8% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $873 in Bundaberg versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bundaberg are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Bundaberg versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $422 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Bundaberg

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

15:12 3:12 PM

3 h behind Bundaberg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,370

127,240

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bundaberg Chiang Mai 7,540 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Bundaberg
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bundaberg vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bundaberg costs about 129% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,220 per month in Bundaberg and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $873 in Bundaberg.

Groceries cost about 80% more in Bundaberg, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Bundaberg and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,147 in Bundaberg and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bundaberg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.